Of Shootings and Lies Comes the Truth
by encryptedeyes11
Summary: It's ironic, the fact that when she was first shot, the beginning of a lie was started then; and now, in another shooting, the lie has ended, but with the price of her life. Set in Season 4 before 47 Seconds.


"No!"

His feet land hard on the ground and his knees ache in protest from the fall to the ground, but he doesn't care about the physical pain that blossoms in his leg.

All he cares about is the woman lying on the ground, her light brown hair splayed in a halo around her head.

"Kate!"

He runs to her, refusing to even acknowledge the possibility of losing her.

But he can't help the worry that rises in his throat and threatens to spill out.

When he reaches her, a strangled sob breaks free through his lips as he kneels down in the growing pool of crimson red that gushes out of the wound in her stomach.

Her hands are desperately trying to cover the gunshot wound and her breath comes out in short, quick puffs that he can see because of the near-freezing temperatures that had hit New York, even if it was almost spring in a few weeks' time.

Moisture starts to gather in her eyes when she finally catches sight of his pale, panic-struck face, and she lets out a whimper when he places his palm over her wound, only managing to slow the flow of blood that continues to spill out of her body.

"Oh god, Kate,"Castle says, his eyes rising up to meet hers.

She lets out a pained groan as he uses his other hand to pull her limp body onto his lap, the movement making her head spin.

"Castle. Rick, I-I'm, I'm sorry," she manages to get out.

He pulls her in even closer, cradling her head as he looks down at her.

"Shh, Kate. It's okay, you'll be fine," he responds. "You have nothing to be sorry about, this isn't your fault."

He thinks he's talking about getting shot. But _oh_ , that's not even close to what she had meant. And even through the pain, the guilt of her lie pours over her, and the urge to tell him becomes unbearably strong.

"N-no, it's not that," she starts, taking a big gulp of air.

"When I got shot- at Montgomery's funeral," she clarifies. "I heard you when you said that um, that you love me."

His breath catches in his throat at her admission and he fights the urge to get angry at her, not when she's lying on his lap with his hands covering a bloody hole.

"Oh."

"No, _oh god_ , Castle," she groans in frustration. "It's probably not what you think it is, I-"

Her sentence is cut off with another groan as pain shoots up her spine.

"No, Kate, it's okay," he says immediately. "We can talk about this later, when you're healthy and alive next to me."

Castle is curious, of course, but her going unconscious in his cradled arms is much more important. But nonetheless, she keeps on talking.

"I- I love you, " she gets out, grinding on her teeth as she looks up at the cloudy sky.

A grin quickly forms on his lips despite the situation that they're in.

"So do I," he responds, and she looks back at him, hesitantly meeting his teary eyes. "I love you too. Always have, actually."

"Good. Yeah, uh, that's good," she says, her eyes starting to slip closed.

The smile falls off of his lips as he gently shakes her, trying his best to rouse her without hurting her.

"No! Kate, come on, open your eyes for me. Please."

He's begging and pleading, his face a picture of distress, when her eyelids flutter back open.

"Castle," Kate says, her voice starting to crack. "It'll be fine, I'm just tired a- and my legs are getting kinda numb."

"Look at me, Kate, look at me," he says urgently, moving her head so that she would be forced to look up at him.

"I already called 911," he resumes. "And the ambulance is coming soon, it's on its way. Just hold on for me, Kate. Just for a little bit longer, okay?"

But he can tell that she's having trouble holding on, her eyelids blinking hard in an effort of trying to stay conscious and her body becomes even colder with he loss of blood.

"Wh- when this is all over, we're going to go out to Remy's for a date, or if you want maybe just a friend's night out and get those new big-ass sundaes that would probably make us fat, and we're going to be having fun, and then when-"

His rambling words are cut off with an "oomph" when Kate's red stained hands drags his head down, her lips meeting his.

The kiss is sweet and although it wasn't the most graceful one, it was the best thing that they'd felt in their entire lives. They both try to treasure and savor the way their lips easily slide and brush against each other's, and they finally brake apart after a few seconds with Kate panting against his neck, the warmth of her breath a start contrast to the coldness of the situation.

"That was nice, wasn't it?" he asks her, bumping his forehead gently against hers. "If you want more of that, you better hold on, Kate."

Kate manages to form a weak smile even as tears streak down her face, mascara and smudged eyeliner marking a path down her face.

In the distance she can hear the wails of an ambulance's siren and she can feel Castle tense up with desperation and hope, his hands pressing even harder against her chest.

It's the hope on his face that hurts the most- it seemingly tears her insides to shreds, because she knows that she's not going to make it, and yet Castle remains hopeful for her fate.

But the burning cold that had started in her stomach and branched out gradually turns numb, the feeling in her hands mostly gone.

Her surroundings start to smudge and blur, and she tries in vain to focus on Castle's face, but her eyelids are just too heavy and she lets them slip closed for just a second.

But when she tries to open them, she finds that she can't, her body already drained of energy.

It's ironic, the fact that when she was first shot, the beginning of a lie was started then; and now, in another shooting, the lie has ended, but with the price of her life.

Castle shakes her, her head rocking back and forth on his lap and she can hear his sobs escape from the confines of his throat, his teardrops landing on her arms and neck.

And when she finally succumbs to the strange numbness and the darkness surrounding her, she can hear his voice telling her she loves him already fading away.


End file.
